September 5, 2002

Cornell Cinema

Coincidences rule the lives of the characters in Jacques Demy’s 1961 movie Lola. The entire film is constructed as a series of chance encounters and overlapping story arcs which are invisible to the characters involved, but all too clear to the audience — which is, of course, part of the fun.

The film’s narrative follows a small cast of characters all living in the town of Nantes. Roland is a discontented young dreamer, so involved in his philosophizing that he can barely hold a job for longer than days at a time. But Roland’s simple life is completely turned around by two chance events: one, encountering his old childhood friend, Cecile (a dancer now going by the stage name Lola), and two, a rather shady job offer to take a briefcase to South Africa.

As Roland reacquaints himself with Lola, he realizes that he loves her and begins to once more feel a zeal for life — even though she may not return his affection. Also involved in this complex but subtle story are Frankie, an American sailor also infatuated with Lola, a young girl (also) named Cecile (who first triggers Roland’s memories of his own friend Cecile/Lola) and her widowed mother, and Lola’s lively young son, Yvon. The most intriguing character is Lola’s mysterious missing husband Michel, who lurks on the outskirts of the film, never glimpsed by any of the characters. His fancy white Cadillac is seen in the corner of many shots, providing a reminder that he is still there, but his motivations — and the reason why he hasn’t visited neither his mother nor his wife and son — remains a mystery until the very end.

The interactions between these characters provide the basis for the entire narrative. Cecile and her mother provide a parallel to Lola’s situation, since both women are raising their children as single mothers, and in fact the young Cecile strikes up a relationship with the sailor Frankie, Lola’s sometime lover. This relationship, though thoroughly innocent on the surface, has a subtle sexual subtext which is manifested most clearly in a joyously shot scene where Frankie takes the young girl to a fair on her fourteenth birthday.

The other theme in the movie is one of travel — Frankie’s imminent departure as his vessel prepares to leave port, Roland’s possibly illegal job trip, and even Lola and Cecile entertain thoughts of leaving town for more exotic locales. Everyone is involved in dreams and living for the future, simply floating through their present situations without much care, and this lends a very unstable atmosphere to the town of Nantes and its citizens. It’s clear that big changes are in store for all these characters, and the ending certainly does not disappoint in that regard — everything is neatly tied up in a climax that nevertheless leaves the futures of all these characters very much up in the air.

The only problem with the movie, strangely enough, is Lola herself. She’s shallow and uninteresting, and it’s not at all clear why so many men should become enthralled with her — materially obsessed, flippant with her affections, and totally devoid of varied emotions, she’s the least intriguing character in the whole film.

Nevertheless, Demy’s Lola is a fun and clever piece that wholly explores the nature of coincidences and how random events can bring people together and tear them apart. By the time of the film’s denouement, each character has been affected in a major way because of the others, and they are all off on new adventures, heading out into the world and into life.

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Students entering the Industrial & Labor Relation’s (ILR) Martin P. Catherwood Library this week may have noticed a new addition from last semester. A new second floor wing that opened Monday boasts 14,700 sq. ft. of program space, including a state-of-the-art computer laboratory, 24 workstations, study tables, pristine furniture and window-box seats. Yet to be completed are a few minor repairs and additions, which include task lighting, patch cords and finishing stone for the public service desk, according to Gordon T. Law Jr., Director of the ILR Catherwood Library. “The world has changed quite a bit, and we [have recognized the increasing] need for electronic access. We have been waiting for decades for this to happen, and my predecessor, Shirley F. Harper, deserves much needed credit for helping to make this happen,” he added. Sarah E. Thomas, University Librarian, explained that as one of Cornell’s 19 libraries Catherwood has commitment to the latest library technology. “One of the challenges we face is the need to maintain and upgrade our facilities to reflect current patterns of scholarship and learning. That means having power and data and access to electronic resources, flexible seating to accommodate group work and space to conduct classes about how to use library materials,” she said. The library was erected primarily under the auspices of state dollars with the intention of offering the maximum amount of space in the new building footprint to accommodate the projected growth in students, faculty and staff, according to Law. Harper planted the seed for the library’s latest expansion and renovation decades ago. The process to secure the necessary $19,723,000 for the latest phase — Phase 2 (a and b) — from the New York State University Construction Fund (SUCF) contributed to the duration of the project. Another reason for the longevity of University-state negotiations was the need to evaluate and revisit academic needs, according to Allan Lentini, director of Finance and Administrative Operations for the ILR School. “We are still looking to raise $2.1 million from alumni, their corporations and other privately generated funds through an interior development effort,” he said. Most of the funds for construction in the statutory colleges, such as ILR, stem directly from the SUCF, according to Lentini. The funds are available to all state university schools and contract colleges, and Cornell’s ILR school is just one of many vying for the state fund dollars. All schools apply through their administrations that request the necessary capital from the SUCF, according to Lentini. Christa and other sub-contractors are currently handling the expansion efforts. “Law has managed deftly the complex planning process of building the new addition and the subsequent renovation of the remainder of the library in a way that has minimized the disruption to users and which has maintained outstanding service. [He] works closely with colleagues in the Cornell University Library to ensure the integration of the ILR collections and services into the strategic vision of the library as a whole,” Thomas said. The late Harper discovered in 1978 that there would be a need for additional space and planned to apply for more accordingly. Although the original library was completed in 1962, just south of Catherwood’s current location, more than a decade of planning occurred during Harper’s tenure to secure Phase 1, which began in 1994 and was completed in early 1998. The master plan, developed in the late ’80s, earmarked several stages for the planning of the new library but, according to Law, convincing Albany to provide the initial request for funding through Cornell did not come as quickly as expected. In the spring of 1994, the bid was accepted and the fund agreed to use a union contractor for Phase 1. “Phase 1 also allowed us to take our archival operation out of the old building and move it into the new building, with compact storage on the 4th and 5th floors,” said Boodie Newsom-McGinnis, Catherwood’s assistant director. The library continues to offer students access to floors 2, walk-in level, 3, open stacks, 4, formerly reference, and library staff offices on the fifth floor. Phase 2a began this summer and is expected to be finalized near the end of this semester. The Garden Avenue complex-extension, research and conference center buildings are also currently undergoing renovation through Phase 2b, with a finish date slated for late 2003. “Libraries deal with two worlds today: traditional paper and electronic access, including wiring, fiber and power/data supplies. We’ve achieved a state-of-the-art infrastructure, consistent with [the top of the line industry standard]. As one of three foremost collections of its kind in the world on industrial relations and human resource management, the library is technologically poised for the future,” Law said. In addition to classroom support, Law believes that the library’s reference section handles equal quantities of e-mail to walk-in visitor ratios, with the possibility of walk-ins buttressing over the coming months, due to the new study environment. “I appreciate the new desks. Before it had so little space to study, get together and do work. We should have had this originally. Although it may not look warm, it is quiet and private,” Jenna Velella ’04 contended. Archived article by Chris Westgate

Walking through the Arts Quad is a little messy and a little loud right now. Renovations on the University’s White Hall weigh heavily on any Cornell student as he or she meanders through Campus, including up Libe Slope from West Campus. Renovations made possible, in part, by a $2 million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts. The foundation granted the University funds in May to aid the $12 million renovation project. White Hall is one of the three oldest buildings on the Campus and, until now, it has never been completely renovated. It was built in 1869 out of Cayuga Blue Stone, the same local stone as was used to build for Morrill and McGraw, according to the University online historical tour. The three buildings, McGraw, Morrill and White make up the Old Stone Row and were the original quadrangle of the University. The new renovations will include new office areas and a new central stairway. When finished, the building will be a new home for Near Eastern Studies, Government, History of Art and the Visual Studies Program. The Findley Gallery, which is currently in the southern part of the basement of Goldwin Smith Hall, will also move to the fourth floor of White Hall. The renovations are scheduled to be completed later this fall, with departments beginning to move in next semester. The renovations are, “the top capital funding priority for the College of Arts and Sciences and an important part of the University’s initiative to enhance undergraduate education,” according to Franklin Crawford of the Cornell News Service. The grant to finance this project is not the first connection the University has with the foundation. Professor Thomas D. Fox, molecular biology and genetics, is currently hosting one of the 2002 Pew Fellows in the Biomedical Sciences, Xochitl Perez-Martinez of Mexico, in his lab. Martinez studies Mitochondrial Genetics. Pew Charitable Trusts gives grants to Latin Americans who have not had any post-doctoral training outside of their home country. “In selecting this 12th group of Latin American fellows, the Pew Charitable Trusts continue their commitment to support young investigators for post-doctoral training in the United States,” the foundation’s website said. The fellows get a $50,000 salary stipend for two years and then $35,000 to set up a laboratory in their home countries.Archived article by Freda Ready